Front feed device for business office machines



Dec. 18, 1956 A. SALZBERGER FRONT FEED DEVICE FOR BUSINESS OFFICE MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 17, 1953 Dec. 18, 1956 A. SALZBERGEQ FRONT FEED DEVICE FOR BUSINESS OFFICE MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 17, 1953 United States Patent Ofi ice 2,774,457 Patented Dec. 18, .1956

Andreas Salzberger, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, as-

signor to Torpedo-Werke Aktiengesellschaft Fahrrader und Schreibmaschinen, Frankfurt am Main Rodelheim, Germany, a German company Application August 17, 1953, Serial No. 374,741 Claims priority, application Germany August 16, 1952 8 Claims. Cl. 197-127 The invention relates to front feed devices for business writing machines, for introducing one or more cards or the like from the front in front of a basic sheet situated in the machine. These front feed devices are provided with separate draw-in rollers for each feed chute for drawing in the cards, the cards being drawn in by the drive of said rollers and a spring motor being Wound up at the same time which, after release, returns the draw-in rollers to the basic position and hence ejects the drawn-in card after lettering. These front feed devices are furthermore provided with punching devices, which after each lettering of a card, punch in the latter a notch, hole or slot. Associated with the feed chutes 'is a'feeler lever which, on the drawing-in of a card,

the draw-in rollers occurs precisely when the next writing line of the card is at the level of the writing line of the machine. In the known devices of this kind, the feeler finger is carried along by the card merely by its engagement in the hole of the latter, or is controlled by the draw-in rollers by means of a wiping spring for moving along with the card. In both constructions, the feeler finger whilst being moved along by the card, bears against the upper edge of the hole, the outward pivotal movement of the feeler finger being initiated substantially by the card, even in the case of the use of a friction spring. Since the feeler finger has to overcome a certain resistance, tearing of the control holes of the card readily occurs, which results in inaccurate positioning of the card. i

The invention concerns a new construction of such a front feed device with feeler finger control of the drive of the draw-in rollers, in which the movement of the feeler finger is independent of both the draw-in movement of the card and the rotation of the rollers drawing in said card," so that the feeler finger by its own' movement in the control hole of thecard moves along with the latter and in an end position, locks the drive'of the draw-in rollers. Any tearing of the card perforations by the feeler finger is thereby prevented, so that front feed sheets of thin paper can be drawn in reliably as far as the line to be lettered in each case.

According to the invention, in front feed devices of the type specified, the feeler finger is adapted to be loaded by a spring in the draw-in direction, which with the drive of the draw-in rollers is released for the dura- 1 tion of the drive by a member controlled by the latter for action on the feeler finger. On release, the loading spring brings the feeler finger to bear on the card, so that on moving past the hole in the card, it is pushed into the latter, and with the further movement of the hole, is swung out by the spring so that, under the influ- I ence of the spring, it operates the locking'device for the draw-in rollers. With the stopping of the drive which thereby follows, the member influenced by the latter returns to the basic position, whereby the loading spring is removed from the feeler finger so that, with the ejection of the card, said feeler finger returns. to the basic position under the effect of a return spring acting on it.

The new construction will be explained more fully with further features, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which.

Fig. 1 shows the basic position of the front feed device, and

Fig. 2 shows the working end position in cross-section through a front feed device.

The constructional example concerns a double front feed device with two card chutes 1, 2, bounded by the central partition 3 and the two guide plates 4 and 5. On its lower side, the partition 3 carries the two punching plates 6, 7 for the perforating device not shown, below which is provided a collecting box 8 for the punched out pieces.

The two guide plates 4, 5 are provided with openings 9, 10 for the passage of the perforating punches, not shown, and above said openings the guide plates have slots 11, 12 for the passage of feeler fingers 13, for which recesses 14, 15 are provided in the partition 3. The construction of the parts so far described is known per se.

Following the outlet end of each chute 1, 2 is a feed roller 16, 17, each of which co-operates with a press-on roller 18, 19. Each feed roller 16, 17 is adapted to be driven by a hand lever through a transmission and is coupled to a spring motor which, on the rollers being driven, is wound up in the draw-in direction, and can be released by a release key after the lettering of the cards for the ejection of the latter.

On the spindle of each feed or draw-in roller 16, 17 is a ratchet wheel 20, 21. By engagement of pawls 22 and 23, respectively, in the ratchet wheels 20,21, the draw-in movement of the feed rollers 16,17 is stopped, and hence the draw-in distance of the front feed sheets fed by them is determined.

To ensure the application of the front feed sheets drawn into the machine against the platen of the machine, there is provided a bar 24, which extends over the entire front feed device and is swung out of the position shown in Fig. 1 into the position shown in Fig. 2 by a control cam of'the drive for the rollers 16, 17 at the commencement of the draw-in movement. The pawls 22, 23 are controlled by the feeler fingers 13. These draw-in devices are also known fundamentally.

The two feeler fingers 13 are pivotally mounted'by means of eyes 25 on supporting spindles 26, which are received by covers, not shown, secured to the guide plates 4, 5. The feeler fingers 13 are under the action of return springs 27 which tend to hold the fingers 13 in the basic position as shown in Fig; 1, in which position the fingers are situated outside the feed chutes 1, 2..

The pawls 22, 23 are pivoted on supporting spindles 28 and are under the action of springs 29, tending to hold them out of engagement with the ratchet wheels 20, 21.

The pawls 22,23 are controlled by noses 30 of the eyes I 25 of the-feeler fingers 13 engaging below projections 31 of the pawls. I Accommodated in the casing receiving the feeler finger 13 and theipawl 22 for the front chute 1 is also a third spindle 32,'on which a control member 33 is guided'by it! the basic position (Fig. 1 his in the path of the bar 24.

The control member is thus lifted'by means of'the 'bar 24' as it swings trom the position shown in Fig. 1. into the.- position shown in Fig. 2 with the drive. of the feed rollers 16,.17(Fi-g,2).1 a a "The finger 38. of the control member 33 projects beyond the casinghousingthedevice. The control member '33 can thus be swung by hand by means of thefinger 38 fitom the position shown in Fig. l to the right, so. that the recess f 36is supported on the spindle 2.8.. "In this position of the.

control member 33, the recess'39 lies. outside the path. of

swing} of the bar 34.: and isthus. not affected by the latter on the actuation of the draw-in rollers 16, 17 in the feed direction. Bythis change-over. ofthe control member 33, therefore, the'-feeler device can be p ut out of action.

The supporting spindle. 32 for thecontrol member 33 also carries a tension spring 40, one arm 41 of which bears 4:. r r r r operative and effective, during the operation of said drawin rollers, to release said spring means for urging said fin ger, in the direction of feed of the sheet so that the tendency of the finger engaged in a-perforation of the sheet to tear the sheet is. thereby. avoided.

, 2. A front feed device according to claim 1; further comprising return spring means yieldably urging said feeler finger to said inoperative position of the latter, said .return spring meansbeingnweaker 'tha n' the firs-t men- 7 I tionedspring means so that, when. the latteris released by" said control means during theoperation. of, thedreW-in rollers, said first spring meanslovercomestheTefiectof-said return spring means-on sa-id fe'eler finger.

' 3. A front feed'deviceaccording. to claim 2 ;1wherini i said first spring. means. includes. a torsion spring. member having two arms which tendfto' move angularlyapar't;

against the spindle 28, whilst the other arm 42 co-operates with a. bent-over portion 43 of the eye of the feeler finger 13.. The spindle 26 carrying the eye 25. of the. feeler one of said arms beingianchored' and the other of .said. arms being engageable with said feeler finger'to urge the latter in the feedingdirection of the. front feed sheet; .and

wherein said control means includes a movable control member normally bearing. against said other'arm of the.

' torsion spring member to hold the latter'out of engage The. feeler finger 13 isthusonly under the influence'of the 'return spring 27 andis held by the latter outside the chute'l ('Fig. l). a p p With thecommencement of the draw in movement of the. feed rollerlfi, the control member 33 is lifted'by the Fig.1 to the position shown inFig. 2.- Atthe same time, the intermediate lever 44 is pivotedin the anticlockwise direction and thus releases thetensionspring til-for action on the .feeler. finger 13. The latter is .swung bygthe' outwardly-swing ing bar 24 from the position shown in fand control .slidegarranged iso that-lifijngof the latter i i canses displacement of said control; member away from spring 40. towards the ieed chutegl and pressedagainsts the card. drawnin the latter. The .feeler finger 13 is thus inserted by the. tension spring. 49'into the, oncominghole of the front feed card'. and is fiorced by the springAQlto make a following, movement. with the hole; .With this pivotal movement of the feeler fingeni whichis.i-ndepend' ent of thedraw in rotation oi the: feed roller. 16,, the. pawl 22 is. brought by the. nose 3.0. into. engagementwiththe ratchet wheel .20, and hence the draw-in movement of: the i feed rollers is stopped."

With the release ;of the lever releasing this movement, the. bar 24 also. returns to the basic, position.

are control member 33 thus. 'alsci returns to. the .basicposition shown inFig; 1, inwh-ich the feeler finger 13. is

loaded only bythe return spring .27. 'As' soon as the front 7 ffeed card after lettering isfreleasedi for ejection, the rest artingposition. i ,7 V

For controlling the tension spring-10a for actuating turn spring 27 also brings 'theifeeler finger 13 .to the a the 'feeler finger 13 of therear feed chute-2,1there is pro- -vided an intermediate lever 4?,"which is pivoted onv afshaft 4 8 and which controls the tension'spri-ng a and' is j'coupled to the intermediate lever 44. bya rod 150 .j 1. A front f ieed device for business imachines a *comprisihgdrawdn rollers fori'feeding a frontf ed? sheet having-atleast one perforation thereinfa feeler "finger 'tionfof .th'e, front; feed sheet -tom'ove ..with thejlatter" duringthe'feeding of the sheet, {lockingmeans efieotive to 1 limit the rotation of said draw-in rollers in r'esponse to movenientofsaid finger with thefro'nt feed sheet in the directi'on of feeding of the'latter, spring m ans operative so if cess' spaced laterally from 'saidffirstrecess to receive saidi supportin' movable between aninoperative position remote from the feeding pathof the front feedsheet and an operative posi- .tionprojecting across said path-for;engaging.-in a perfora- T 'said other arm ofthe-torsion springmembfer.

' said control slide aandfyieldably r sisting. he.

. said' spindleinisaid firs race said draw-in. rollers .are'inoperati e andv said PI'fiSS QD bar 4 mentwith said feeler finger, and means displacing said control member away from said other arm of the torsion spring member in response toi operation of said draw-in rollers.

4'. A front feed device; according to claim 3; wherein said means displacingthe control member includes a control slide, a press-onbar. swinging away from the feeding path of the front feed sheet duringthe operation of said idra-wdn rollers, said controlslide having a'port-ion thereof normally extending into the swinging paths of, said pressan bar to be engaged by theq-latter sothat the control slide 7 a 'is lifted by swinging of said baraway fromthe. feeding patlnand coupling means'between said controlmember latter so thatsaid controlslide nonnallyis disposed adjacent. theteedina Path:

A front.feeddeviceaccord g to. cl.aim'5.;..wh erein" said control. slide has a slot therein, and furthercompris- 1 ing'a guidespindle engaged.in,..saidslqtto. 'guid'ef the. lift- 1 ing movement of said control slide, said. control. slide being rockable ahout saidguidespindle in said slot to: dispose said portion of the control slide. outof the swingf. I ing path offsaid press-on bar so. that said 'controlmember 7 will then continueto bear against; said otheriarm pfthe l 'i a torsion spring member to hold the latter put-of-engageQ V ment with the-feeler finger. even duringjtheoperation-of f a -i A. frontifeed d vice-a o d g}tli a la said-control slide .has a second, downwar control slide in' a'ri rinop erativ ro said portion of the. control 'shdef 1S disposed outofi tlie 1f.

swinging path'ofisaid press-on ban; j I, a g h ding toclaimfllriurtherw' ,comprising draw-ingollers for i eeding a ifearieed sheet;

8;. A front feed device'acco SPiQdltfO'f amta fii i' said I,

i p itipnyin whi having at least one'perforation; thereing a rear feeler' finger movable between. an' inoperatige-position.remote from thefeeding path of the rear-: feed sheet andi an opefa 'tive'position' projecting across said path of'the rear feed, a Js heet. foraengagingin a perforation'of the. rear feed sheet 7 to move with .tlielatter duringthefeeding o the ea te d sheet, locking meansfefiectineto limit'the. rotation: of said:

draw-in rollers for tlierearfeed sheet in response to movement of said rear finger with the rear feed sheet in the direction of feeding of the latter, spring means operative to urge said rear finger to said operative position thereof and in the direction of feeding of the rear feed sheet, return spring means for urging said rear finger to its inoperative position when the first mentioned spring means associated with said rear finger is inoperative, a movable control member engageable with said first spring means associated with the rear finger, and a connecting link between the first mentioned control member and the last mentioned control member so that the latter is actuated by said first control member and renders inopera- 6 tive, and releases, said first spring means associated with said rear finger in response to the movement of said first control member against and out of engagement with, respectively, said other arm of the torsion spring member associated with the feeler finger for the front feed sheet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

